Gleick PH et al (2010) Climate change and the integrity of science. Science 328: 689-690

"We are disturbed by the recent escalation of political assaults on ... climate scientists. --- Scientific conclusions derive from an understanding of basic laws supported by laboratory experiments, observations of nature, and mathematical and computer models. ---  Scientists build reputation and gain recognition by ... demonstrating that the scientific consensus is wrong and that there is a better explanation. But when some conclusions have been thoroughly and deeply tested, questioned and examined, they gain the status of "well established theories ---  Climate change now falls in this category.  ---  We call for an end of the McCarthy-like threats of criminal prosecusion against our colleagues." 

Moss RH at al. (2010) The next generation of scenarios for climate change and assessment. Nature 463: 747-755

Heffernan O (2010) The climate machine. Nature 463: 1014-1016

an new generation of sophisticated models is gearing up- but added complexity may lead to greater uncertainty about future climate

Allenby B, Murphy CF, Allen D and Dividson C (2009) Sustainable engineering education in the United States. Sustain. Sci 4: 7-15 

Although the profession has experience with environmental dimensions of engineering activities extending the existing body of practice to sustainable engineering by including social and cultural domains is a significant but non-trivial challenge.

Clark PU and Huybers P (2009) Interglacial and future sea level. Nature 462/17 pp856-857

Kopp RE et al (2009) Probabilistic assessment of sea level during the last intergalcial stage. Nature 462/17 pp 863-86

It appears that during the last interglacial stage the sea level was at least 6.6 m higher than today. This no good news for the 145 million people living within a meter of the present sea level

Short RV (2009) Population growth in retrospect and prospect. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 364 pp 2971-2974

http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/364/1532/2971.full

There is no doubt that the current rate of human population growth is unsustainable. If we enable all the women of the world to have control of their own fertility, there would be a dramatic decline in population growth. That is not much to ask, when the future of all life on Earth is at stake.

Lees RM (2010) To master the threats of climate change we have to rediefine and reorient economic growth

http://www.clubofrome.org/eng/cor_news_bank/20/

"We cannot manage the scale, complexity and dynamics of the 21st Century with the tools of the 20th. ... We must find the vision, the leadership and the creativity to collaborate in developing constructive solutions to offer a decent future to present and future generations"

Schiermeier Q (2010) The real holes in climate sciemce. Nature 463/21: 284-287

Nature has singled out 4 areas (regional climate forecast, precipitation forecast, aerosols and paleoclimatic data) that deserve greater open discussion, both within scientific circles and in the public sphere.

(The papaer supports the initiative of IESP to hold a reflection group meeting on "modelling")